During Mass, the priest begins the ancient rite of transforming host and wine into the body, blood, soul & divinity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Transubstantiation is the word we use to describe what occurs during this part of the Holy Mass.
Kneeling there in my pew, I reflect on this gift. We as Catholics, in unbroken succession from the Apostles and our first Pope, Peter, have been given this gift. It does not exist in other Christian denominations nor does it exist in any non-Christian faith.
Ponder for a moment, that your Lord and Savior, who died so that His blood could cleanse the faithful of their sin. All sin. Sins of the past, sins of the present, sins of the future. All cleansed and forgiven in one act of humility and love by Jesus Christ.
In addition to this gift of forgiveness, Jesus Christ also gave us the gift of always being present with us in the Eucharist. We are allowed to consume Him into our beings. His divinity becomes a part of us in that moment we receive the host and consume it.
As we kneel before the altar and the priest speaks the prayers, this ordinary host and wine starts its transformation. We cannot see this transformation with our eyes but if we open our hearts, we can feel it in the fiber of our being. Christ’s love calls to us in this moment in the Mass. He wants us to recognize this unique and special gift. He wants us to understand in the moments leading up to receiving Him that He pours all of His love into every host, every drop of wine. We are consuming His love for us.
How do we not change after having consumed Christ’s love through the gift of His body present in the Eucharist?
How can we not see Christ in our brothers and sisters in faith? They, as we, have consumed Christ’s body and therefore physically have Christ within them. We should recognize that fact even if they do not.
Think about that. Pray on the fact that God allows us this special gift. He allows us to physically consume Christ at every Mass. This physical consumption brings us closer to Christ, closer to the Father. We cannot KNOW this truth and not be humbled by it.
This truth is why I sometimes cry during the Eucharistic Consecration. Not out of sorrow, but out of joy and gratitude for the gift I receive every time I consume the body of Christ.
Today I pray that every Catholic feels this the next time they are at Mass.
Clear your mind. Focus on the joy of knowing Him through His sacrifice and His gift of the Eucharist.
Yours in Christ’s Love and Generosity,
Mrs. Summitt